Oklahoma's Mayfield apologizes for flag incident at Ohio State

After Saturday night’s 31-16 win, Mayfield ran around the field at Ohio Stadium with a crimson OU flag, then took it to the "O‘‘ at midfield and tried to stick it in the ground as his teammates celebrated around him.

Mayfield said Monday that he didn’t mean any disrespect. He said he should have saved his celebration for the locker room, adding that he would be upset if someone did that on Oklahoma’s home field.

Mayfield threw for 386 yards and three touchdowns as No. 5 Oklahoma rallied to knock off the second-ranked Buckeyes. The Sooners have since moved up to No. 2 in The Associated Press college football poll.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Kent State coach Haynes returns after cancer surgery — Kent State coach Paul Haynes has returned to the football program after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer.

The school announced last month that Haynes was taking a medical leave of absence but did not provide details about his condition. He missed the Golden Flashes’ loss at Clemson in their season opener, but then he surprised the team by showing up before its 38-31 win against Howard on Saturday.

Haynes said Monday he was healthy again and back full-time. After his news conference, he confirmed his diagnosis and treatment in an interview with the Record-Courier.

Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Don Treadwell ran the team while Haynes was gone. The 48-year-old Haynes says he talked to Treadwell every day.

Speaking at a news conference Monday, Coach Chris Ash said the 56-year-old Kill had a "minor medical setback" on Sunday but was expected to be fine.

Ash said the former Minnesota coach who had dealt with epilepsy for almost two decades was in a local hospital and hoped to be released Monday or Tuesday.

Ash said he hopes Kill will be on the sideline Saturday when the Scarlet Knights (0-2) play host to Morgan State.

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that can lead to loss of consciousness and convulsions.

Kill had his first seizure in 2000 when he was coach at Emporia State, and a sideline seizure in 2005 when he was coach at Southern Illinois led doctors to discover he also had kidney cancer. Kill beat the cancer, though for years he would say he had seizure disorder instead of epilepsy. He stepped down as Minnesota’s coach in 2015.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

NFL to appeal decision to block Elliott's 6-game suspension — The NFL is asking a federal appeals court to review a judge’s decision blocking the league’s six-game suspension of Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott in a domestic violence case.

The suspension was put on hold last week by a federal judge in Sherman, Texas, about 65 miles north of Dallas. The NFL filed notice with the Eastern District of Texas on Monday that it would appeal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

The NFL’s latest filing came about 12 hours after Elliott rushed for 104 yards in the Cowboys’ 19-3 win over the New York Giants at home Sunday night. Elliott said after the game he was "relieved from the fact that I finally get a fair trial."

U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant granted a temporary restraining order and an injunction blocking the suspension Friday. He agreed with attorneys for Elliott and the players’ union that last year’s NFL rushing leader didn’t get a fair hearing in his appeal of the suspension.

Patriots replacing field turf after one regular-season game — The New England Patriots are replacing their artificial turf field after just one regular-season game.

A Patriots spokesman says the field wasn’t up to the team’s standards, even though it met the safety requirements for both the NFL and Major League Soccer. Spokesman Stacey James says it was the first chance to replace it because the field won’t be used for two weeks.

ESPN first reported the decision, noting that several players had complained the field was too soft.

The field was installed in May. The Patriots used it for two preseason games and the regular-season opener against Kansas City on Thursday night, which New England lost 42-27.

MLS’ New England Revolution also play at Gillette Stadium.

PRO TENNIS

Muguruza joins US Open champion Nadal at No. 1 for Spain — Garbine Muguruza has made her debut at No. 1 and joined U.S. Open champion Rafael Nadal in making Spain the first country to top the WTA and ATP rankings simultaneously since 2003.

Muguruza rose two spots from No. 3 on Monday after getting to the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the first time. She is the 24th woman to lead the WTA since it introduced computer rankings in 1975.

U.S. Open women’s champion Sloane Stephens jumped to No. 17 from No. 83.

Muguruza takes over at No. 1 from Karolina Pliskova, who fell to No. 4. Venus Williams is back in the top five for the first time since 2011.

Nadal stayed at No. 1, while Roger Federer moved up one place to No. 2.

TRACK & FIELD

CAS to hear appeal in Bolt Olympic relay case in November — An appeal case involving the 2008 Olympic title stripped from Usain Bolt and the Jamaican relay team is going to court in November.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport says it set Nov. 15 for sprinter Nesta Carter to challenge his disqualification by the International Olympic Committee. A verdict is expected weeks later.

Carter tested positive last year for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine in re-analysis of a urine sample from the 2008 Beijing Games.

He and Bolt were teammates on the 4x100-meter relay team, which won in a world record of 37.10 seconds.

Carter ran the opening leg, and Bolt took the baton third in a team that also included Michael Frater and Asafa Powell.

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